1. Field
Embodiments of the invention relate to the field of communications. More specifically, one embodiment of the invention relates to a configurable module adapted to a digital device.
2. General Background
Analog communication systems are rapidly giving way to their digital counterparts. Digital television is currently scheduled to be available nationally. High-definition television (HDTV) broadcasts have already begun in most major cities on a limited basis. Similarly, the explosive growth of the Internet and the World Wide Web have resulted in a correlative growth in the increase of downloadable audio-visual files, including MP3-formatted audio files.
Simultaneously with, and in part due to this rapid move to digital communication systems, there have been significant advances in digital recording devices. Digital versatile disk (DVD) recorders, digital VHS video cassette recorders (D-VHS VCR), CD-ROM recorders (e.g., CD-R and CD-RW), MP3 recording devices, and hard-disk based recording units are merely representative of the digital recording devices that are capable of producing high quality recordings and copies thereof, without any increased degradation known in the analog counterparts. This poses a concern to content providers such as the motion picture and music industries, who are reluctant in providing downloadable digital content due to fears of unauthorized and uncontrolled copying such digital content.
In response, content and service providers have required consumer electronic manufacturers of retail navigation or host devices, such as set-top boxes or Digital TVs for example, to deploy them with conditional access (CA) slots. The service provider, e.g. cable operator, purchases modules for insertion into the CA slot from an incumbent CA provider for a particular cable system. These modules, hereinafter referred to as “CableCARDs,” are PCMCIA form factor devices which plug into the CA slot on the host devices. The service provider provides these modules to better ensure that the owners of the host devices have paid for the services and programs being consumed.
The CableCARD will selectively descramble the content only if the customer is authorized. The CableCARDs are designed to descramble scrambled content into a clear format for viewing and/or listening, and may include constraints and conditions on the recording and playback when the content is copy-protected through re-scrambling as it flows back to the host device. This enables the content or service provider to scramble content before transmission to the targeted retail device(s).
The CableCARD is in communication with the host device and handles descrambling operations. Currently, each CableCARD is statically configured for a single CA provider in design, namely each CableCARD is exclusively configured by the respective CA manufacturer or provider to descramble content that was scrambled by that original CA provider in the headend, broadcast station, or uplink. The service provider, such as a cable operator for example, continuously purchases CableCARDs from the CA provider and keep a certain number on hand to meet the demand of customers wishing to use their own set-top box or DTV purchased at retail, but then cannot repurpose (i.e. alter) the CableCARD for a different CA provider that might be found in a different cable system owned by that service provider, or in case that the service provider might wish to use if it wanted to change the CA provider in a particular system. This lack of flexibility of the CableCARD has resulted in inflated costs for CableCARDs due to their non-configurable nature. The service provider is essentially stuck with the CA provider that manufactured the CableCARD. It would be nice if the service operator could purchase CableCARDs which could be repurposed when the CA provider for a particular system needs to be changed.
In addition, concerns with the CableCARD security continues to discourage further development. Thus, in order to ensure wide deployment of CableCARDs, additional security characteristics are needed as well. Likewise, it would be nice to have CableCARDs which could address the security concerns of multiple CA providers.